


the story of richie and eds

by racetrackshiggins



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bonnie and Clyde Fusion, Background Relationships, Gun Violence, Minor Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Minor Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon, Minor Character Death, Minor Patricia Blum Uris/Stanley Uris, Multi, Multiple Endings, Sonia Kaspbrak Being Terrible, reddie-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:54:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27496033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/racetrackshiggins/pseuds/racetrackshiggins
Summary: Eddie Kaspbrak lives in The Middle of Nowhere, USA. Every day's the same: working at the town's diner then taking care of his mother the rest of the time.Until one day when he meets someone who changes everything.A Bonnie & Clyde (The Musical) AU.(There will be two different endings to choose from.)
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Kudos: 7





	the story of richie and eds

**Author's Note:**

> this au is my baby, and i'm so excited to be sharing it!! it's based primarily on the 2009 la jolla production of the musical (aka the superior version imo), which began previews eleven years ago today (11/10)
> 
> any content warnings will be in the beginning notes of each chapter
> 
> thank you so much to:  
> everyone who encouraged me  
> my sister beth, for listening to all the rambling and reading this over  
> and jenn, the richie to my eddie, my wonderful partner, the love of my life. thank you for watching the show with me, giving me feedback, and supporting me (and not just with this fic, but everything)  
> i cherish and love you all <3

Eddie Kaspbrak drives to work, down the same road, like he has every day for who knows how fucking long; he stopped counting a while ago.

But these drives are just about the only time he gets to himself, so he cherishes them. His second-hand Ford Model T, which his mother absolutely detests, runs beautifully now that he’s fixed it up a bit. Whenever he’s behind the wheel, he considers packing up all his shit in and driving out of town, destination unknown. He thinks about his childhood dream: owning his very own auto shop, which now at twenty years old, feels long overdue.

But he always hears his mother’s voice in the back of his mind, and the guilt sets in.

So he stays, working at the diner as much as he can, then taking care of his mom the rest of the time.

Sometimes he gets to visit Bill or Mike after work - both of them on a good day - but only when he gets to leave early, which doesn’t occur often.

After he clocks in, Eddie starts serving the daily customers their usual orders and having the exact same fucking conversations as the day before.

And it’s boring as hell.

Until one day, just a few minutes before closing, he glances out the window and sees someone lift the hood of his car.

One of the customers raises a coffee mug. “Hey can I get more-”

“Ask someone else, I’m clocking out early.” Eddie ignores the customer calling after him and hurries outside, consequences be damned.

He won’t let anyone harm his car.

When Eddie approaches his usual parking space, as calmly as possible, he gets a better look at the person who’s currently trying to steal his car.

The man is so fucking tall, with the goddamn broadest shoulders Eddie’s ever seen. The black angular glasses on his face suit him. The sleeves of the dirty button-up over his t-shirt are rolled up to his elbows, showing off his muscled forearms. His entire body is huge, including his hands, currently trying to start the engine but struggling. Goddamn, this man is unfairly attractive, and Eddie almost doesn’t want to interrupt him so he can watch him work for a while.

Eddie clears his throat. “What’re you doing?”

The man jolts, but recovers remarkably well. “Just trying to start my car.” He leans against the car and taps the engine. “With what I paid for it, you’d think it’d actually work.”

“Maybe it’s missing something. Like a uh,” Eddie shrugs, “spark plug, for example.”

“You might be onto something.”

“Oh, I know I am.” Eddie reaches into his pocket then holds up the missing spark plug he takes out of his car every morning in case something like this happens. “That’s my car you’re trying to steal.”

“Oh. Uh, well it’s a nice car. Sort of.”

Eddie shrugs. “It gets me to and from work.”

“Sounds boring.”

Pursing his lips together, Eddie glares at him. “Look, I don’t appreciate you insulting my car while trying to steal it so-”

Sirens go off in the distance, and the man crouches behind the car, eyes wide in alarm. When Eddie looks at him, an eyebrow raised in judgement, he shrugs. Cops rush out of the diner, and Eddie freezes, hoping to remain unseen. After a shitty night serving them (specifically dealing with one of them belching in his face), he’s done dealing with the Bowers gang.

But no fucking luck.

“There was a break out at the county jail.” Bowers steps forward menacingly, but Eddie holds his ground. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

Suddenly the mystery man’s behavior makes a lot more sense. And Eddie should turn him in, but he’s so fucking sick of doing what he should. Besides, this is the only interesting thing that’s happened since- well, in his whole life maybe. Plus it seems unnecessarily cruel. “I’ve been working all day, how could I know anything?”

Bowers exchanges a look with the others. “If you’re lying-”

“I’m not.”

Whether they believe him or not, they do leave, and as soon as they’re gone, Eddie turns around and raises an eyebrow. “They wouldn’t happen to be looking for you, would they?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Innocent men don’t usually hide from cops.”

“Hey, I wasn’t hiding. I just uh, didn’t want to deal with those assholes.”

“Oh please, that panicked look on your face speaks volumes.”

“So you’re gorgeous and smart. Must be my lucky day.”

“You’re gonna have to try harder than that to impress me. What were you in for?”

“Robbery.” The man holds up the spark plug he somehow got from Eddie’s pocket without his noticing. When he tosses it back, Eddie gasps in surprise. “Impressed now?” Eddie doesn’t dignify that with an answer-

(Which is yes.)

“Oh, and uh. Auto theft,” he adds.

“Never woulda guessed,” Eddie says with a smile.

“You know, you don’t have to worry about me having been to jail.”

Eddie snorts. “Oh I’m not. I’ve known lots of men who’ve gone to jail.” Well, maybe not personally; he’s only heard of them, but the exaggeration won’t hurt anyone.

If that statement surprises the other man, he doesn’t show it. “Know any others who busted out?”

And Eddie probably shouldn’t find that as intriguing as he does.

“Can’t say I have.”

Grinning, the man steps closer so there’s barely any space between them and offers a hand. “Richie Tozier.”

Eddie tentatively reaches out to take it. After a moment, he says, “Eddie Kaspbrak.”

Richie’s hand is rough and fucking huge around Eddie’s own, and he shivers before reluctantly pulling his hand back.

“Nice to meet you, Eds.”

“What the fuck, that’s not-”

Then the diner’s lights switch off, and Eddie panics. “Shit, I have to go. My- it’s late, and I should get back home.”

Richie averts his gaze, suddenly so interested in the hood of the car. “Someone waiting up for you?”

Eddie purses his lips for a moment. Not wanting to come right out and say he still lives with his mother, he replies, “Sort of.”

“Oh.” Richie’s voice falls flat, and Eddie regrets his answer.

Quickly forcing out the words, Eddie adds, “My mother. She worries if I’m not home after my shift.”

“Well, guess I oughta find another car to steal.” Looking a bit disappointed, Richie adds, “It was a pleasure meeting you, Eds.”

“Still not my name, asshole.” Eddie pauses then, in a moment of bravery and stupidity, says, “Come with me.” He’s never done anything like this before, but there’s something about Richie that brings out Eddie’s impulsive side, and the desire to take a risk for once in his life.

Eddie wants this man so fucking badly.

Richie just stares back, and for a second Eddie wonders if he misread the situation.

“What?”

“Fuck, I don’t want this night to end. So come home with me.”

“You mean it?” Richie says as he smiles.

And Eddie really does. “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t. You got somewhere better to be?”

“Can’t imagine some place better. Lead the way, baby.”

Eddie’s breath catches at being called “ _ baby _ ,” and his stomach flutters not unpleasantly.

“Get in the car, then.” Eddie puts the spark plug back into place as Richie reaches for the driver’s side door. “The passenger seat, Rich, I’m driving.”

“Whatever you say, Eds.”

Eddie protests the name once again, even after realizing that won’t do any good.

(Though he finds he doesn’t actually mind; maybe even likes it. No one’s given him a nickname before. It feels nice, special.

He certainly never plans to tell Richie that though.)

As he starts the car, he turns to see Richie watching him with a dumb, smug grin Eddie wants to wipe off his face.

So he does with a quick but firm kiss. Richie seems totally shocked when Eddie pulls away. Then he laughs and rests a hand on Eddie’s thigh. “You’re a goddamn dream, Eddie Kaspbrak.”

Eddie drives them home, a smile on his face the entire way.


End file.
